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February 24, 2017

Strange But True!

Q. It's been called bird fancier's lung, humidifier lung and hot tub lung, among other names. Now add bagpipe lung. What's the story here?

A. “Bagpipe lung” is an inflammatory lung disease caused by regular inhalation of fungi living inside bagpipes, explains Meghan Rosen in Science News magazine. Here's the story: When a 61-year-old man died after seven years of a mysterious disease that left him breathless, with a dry cough, doctors diagnosed hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a rare disease caused by breathing in particles that irritate lung tissues. But they were puzzled since the patient had not been exposed to common triggers such as birds or household mold.


 
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